Dry-cleaning machine



March 31. 1925. 1,532,048

S.C.DORLAND DRY CLEANING MACHINE File M tch 25, 1924 s sheets stgget 1ooooooo -0ooo 0o i d W W 7y mai W 1 WITNESS: ATTORNEY March 31. 1925.1,532,048

S. C. DORLAND V DRY CLEANING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet2 March 31. 1925.

S. C. DORLAND DRY CLEANING MACHINE Filad March 25, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3wa arm ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

SIMEON C. DORLAND, OF OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON.

DRY-CLEANING MACHINE.

Application filed March 25, 1924. Serial No. 701.779.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SnunoN C. DonLAND,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Olympia, in the county ofThurston and State of Washington, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Dry-Cleaning Machines, of which the following is aspeci-' fication.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for cleaning clothesand other articles and has especial reference to machines used for whatis commonly known as dry cleaning. 3 I

An object of the present invention is the provision of acombination drycleaning and continuous clarifying machine wherein the cleaning fluid(such as a gasoline preparation) may be clarified or filtered during theprocess of cleaning clothes, so as to eliminate dirt and otherimpurities which have been removed from the clothes, after which thecleaning fluid is returned to the cleaning chamber of the machine forfurther use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a combined machinefor. the

purposes above stated, which is constructed as a unit, so as to occupy arelatively small space and permit of the use and re-use of the cleaningfluid without removing the same from the machine.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention further includesthe following novel features and details of construction, to behereinaftermore fully described, illustrated in the zuzcompauyingdrawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings? Figure '1 is an elevation of a machine constructed inat-ci'n'dunce with the invention.

Figure 2 is an end view thereof with the settling compartments androtatable cylinder shown by dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the machine.

Figure t is a section 011 the line l4 of Figure 2. v y

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the rotatable cylinder;

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like characters of referencedenote corresponding parts, the reference character 10 indicates acasing which includes a substantially cylindrical cleaning chamber 11and a longitudinally disposed reservoir 12,

,the latter being disposed to one side of and in communication with thecleaning chamber 11. The cleaning chamber may be provlded with a top orcover 13 which is leakproot, while the reservoir is provided with "anopening 14; which is normally closed by a cover 15, whereby the gasolineor other cleaning fluid may be placed within the reservoir. Mounted forrotation within the cleaning chamber 11 upon a shaft 16 is a cylinder17, the latter being provided-with an openmgavhereby the articles to becleaned maybe inserted within the cylinder. This opening 1s closed by adoor or closure 18, the said door or closure and the cylinder 17 beingperforated. Extending radially from the inner wall of the cylinder arespaced ribs or projections 18 which, when'the cylmder is rotated act tocarry the articles around the cylinder in a manner to stir up or agitatethe articles. The shaft 16 is providedwith a pulley 19 which may beconnected with a suitable source of power.

The gasoline or other cleaning fluid is placed within the reservoir andis conducted to the cleaning chamber through pipes 20, the latter beingprovided atone of their ends with a screen 21 and havingvalves 22 tocontrol the passage of fluid. Afterthe artlcles have been placed withinthe cylin-l der, thelatter is rotated so that the gasoline will bepassed through the articles, the gaso- I line being gradually andintermittently returned to the reservoir by means of pockets ortroughslfj which are carried'by the cvlinder 18. The valves 22 beingopened and the valves25 closed, the cleaning ltuid will make acontinuous circuit from the cleaning chambe! it to the reservoir andback to said chamber. This process of cleaning is con tinued for a shortperiod until the cleaning fluid actsou the dirt and grease in theclothing or other articles. After the lapse of this short period thevalves 22 are closed' and the valves 25 opened, whereupon the cleaningfluid will make a continuous circuit during the remaining cleaningperiod, the fluid passing from the bottom of the cleaning chamber 11through the troughs 23 so as to. be carried around the cleaning chamberand deposited in the reservoir 12, passing from this reservoir throughthe pipes 21 into the bottom of the clarifying chamber. Afterthearticles have been cleaned and the gasoline returned to the reservoir12'. the said gasoline is subjected to a littering or clarifying actionand for this purpose ill) the casing includes a clarifying chamber 23which is located below the cleaning chamber 11 and which is incommunication with the reservoir 12 through the pipes 2 t. Valves 25control these pipes. The pipes 2 T extend downwardly along the bottom ofthe clarifying chamber and the latter contains a suitable clarifyingagent 26, through which the gasoline rises, the heavy dirt settling tothe bottom of the chamber 23 as indicated by the dotted line a, whilethe muck settles upon the top of the clarifying agent as indicated bythe dotted line Z). The purified gasoline which will occupy theremainder of the chamber 23 will pass upward and through a series ofsmall openings 27 into a lowersettling compartment 28 and through thiscompartment and through a series of small openings 29 into an uppersettling com} partment 30, sediment which mightbe carried by thegasoline settling within these compartments. The gasoline then passesthrough a series of small openings 31. into the cleaning chamber forfuture use.

The pipes 24 extend longitudinally through the machine as shown inFigure 4 and are provided with perforations so that the gasoline will bedistributed throughout the clarifying agent.

The clarifying chamber and the settling compartments 28 and 30 are eachprovided with draw-off cocks 32, while the clarifying chamber isprovided with a normally covered clean-out port 33 and a drain cock 34.

The cleaning chamber is in communication with a sight gauge 35 which islocated at one end of the machine, while a similar gauge 36 is providedfor the clarifying chamber. i

The casing is preferably supported upon legs 37.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportionsand minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved tomake such changes as proper ly fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

llaving described the invention what is claimed is 1. A machine of theclass described embodying a casing, a cleaning chamber within thecasing, a perforated cylinder rotatably mounted therein, a fluidreservoir, means whereby fluid may be conducted from the reservoir tothe cleaning chamber and means controlled by the rotation of thecylinder for returning the fluid to the reservoir.

2. A machine of the class described embodying a casing, a cleaningchamber within the casing, a perforated cylinder rotatably mour tedtherein, a fluid reservoir, means whereby fluid may be conducted fromthe reservoir to the cleaning chamber and means carried by the cylinderfor returning the. fluid to the reservoir.

3. A machine of the class described embodying a casing, a cleaningchamber within the casing, a perforated cylinder rotatably mountedtherein, a fluid reservoir, means whereby fluid may be conducted fromthe reservoir to the cleaning chamber and pockets included in thecylinder for returning the fluid to the reservoir.

4:. A machine of the class described embodying a casing, a cleaningchamber within the casing, a perforated cylinder rotatably mountedtherein, a fluid reservoir, means whereby fluid may be conducted fromthe reservoir to the cleaning chamber, means controlled by the rotationof the cylinder for returning the fluid to the reservoir, fluidclarifying means, means whereby the fluid may be conveyed from thereservoir to the clarifying means and means for returning the clarifiedfluid to the cleaning chamber.

5. A machine of the class described em bodying a casing, a cleaningchamber within the casing, a perforated cylinder rotatablymountedtherein, a fluid reservoir, means whereby fluid may be conductedfrom the reservoir to the cleaning chamber, means controlled by therotation of the cylinder for returning the fluid to the reservoir, fluidclarifying means, means whereby the fluid may be conveyed from thereservoir to the clarifying means, means for returning the clarifiedfluid to the cleaning chamber and settling compartments located withinthe casing between the clarifying means and the cleaning chamber and inthe path of the fluid.

6. A machine of the class described embodying a casing, a cleaningchamber within the casing, a perforated cylinder rotatably mountedtherein, a fluid reservoir included in and disposed to one side of thecasing, means for conducting fluid from the reservoir to the cleaningchamber and means controlled by the rotation of the cylinder forintermittently returning the fluid to the reservoir.

7. A machine of the class described embodying a casing, a cleaningchamber within the casing, a perfo 'ated cylinder rotatably mountedtherein, a fluid reservoir included in and disposed to one side of thecasing, means for conducting fluid from the reservoir to the cleaningchamber, fluid clarifyin means and means for returning the clarifledfluid to the cleaning chamber.

8. A machine of the class described embodying a casing, a cleaningchamber with in the casing, a perforated cylinder rotatably mountedtherein, a fluid reservoir, means whereby fluid may be conducted fromthe reservoir to the cleaning chamber, means controlled by the rotationof the'cylinder for returning the fluid to the reservoir. a clarifyingchamber located beneath the cleaning chamber, means for conducting fluidfrom the reservoir to the clarifying chamber, settling compartmentslocated between the clarifying and cleaning chambers and means fordirecting the clarified fluid from the clarifying chamber through thesettling compartments into the cleaning chamber.

9. A machine of the class described embodying a casing, a cleaningchamber within the casing for receiving a cleaning fluid and articles tobe cleaned, a clarifying chamber, settling chambers and means wherebythe clarifying fluid will be subjected to the action of the clarifyingand settling chamhere during the article cleaning process.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

SIMEON O. DORLAND.

